Puppet
by Keith Kaizer
Summary: What does Orochimaru's plot have in store for Kin?
1. Past Revealed

Author's Note: I got some relatively good feedback from my Shino/Sakura fanfic so I decided to try my hand at making another Naruto based fanfic. I don't own anyone or anything associated with the Naruto anime. This story takes place right after the second part of the Chunin examination begins.

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"We have only one target." Dosu Kinuta instructed firmly as the squad ambled through the forest. "Stay focused on it." Upon finishing his instructions Dosu and his team took off higher into the forest of death to get a better view of those inside the forest and how they could most efficiently apprehend the Uchiha. 

"No problem!" Zaku Abumi retorted smugly to his leader's reminder. "I doubt we'll have any significant obstacles in capturing a little kid like him. Heh, I doubt his squad will be able to entertain us even if I fought them all myself, right Kin?" Kin Tsuchi, rather than responding to her teammate's constant boasting, merely nodded grimly to the question.

Dosu couldn't help but snicker at his comrade's less than eager answer. Zaku was made a little worried by her lack of an egocentric remark, as was her trademark, but tried to play it off by making fun of her, "Heh, hey Dosu, do you think maybe Kin is afraid of the big bad Uchiha?" Zaku inquired seemingly enjoying the weakness that slipped by through her reaction. Dosu merely shook his head to indicate that Zaku should knock it off and focus on the task at hand before Kin got fed up with him and left him wounded on the forest ground. Zaku, picking up on his sign, decided to let up. The time it took him to interpret this nearly caused him to be unable to avoid the kunai Kin had thrown at him.

"Look we're all clearly getting on each other's nerves so why don't we rest for a minute to cool off. Besides, that time will allow Sasuke to be worn down more making it even easier to apprehend him." Dosu suggested level headedly not wanting Orochimaru angry with them for not following his orders due to their bickering. They all agreed to this proposition readily understanding the necessity for such action to be taken and landed in a clearing large enough for the three to rest for a moment before continuing the hunt. Shortly after sitting down to clear their heads the trio noticed that their stomachs were growling…rather loudly.

Dosu volunteered to go fetch some food while he sent Zaku and Kin off to go get some firewood and water respectively. They all set off on their tasks promptly albeit rather frustrated at having to take so much time away from their plans. Zaku decided that he'd tag along with Kin as he thought where there was water, some decent firewood probably wouldn't be far off. He also believed this to be the perfect opportunity to apologize to Kin so that they could focus on getting the Uchiha rather than their agitations. Kin was less than pleased to have him coming with her.

"You know I really don't need you babysitting me Zaku." Kin growled with malice hating being supervised by her own teammate. "I'm not a little kid, I can handle getting some water just fine." Zaku, though still walking alongside her backed off a little realizing that there'd be some trouble unless he gave her some much needed room.

"Look, I'm not here to baby-sit you or anything like that. I just figured that you and I might be able to help each other out to finish our tasks more quickly." Zaku stated hesitantly not wanting to make her any more anxious than she already was.

"Do you mind if I just ask you one thing Kin?" Zaku questioned softly worried that, even if he got permission to ask her, he might find himself in a world of hurt afterwards.

"Fine, if it'll get you to allow me to continue with my task uninterrupted then ask away." Kin replied clearly getting rather annoyed with Zaku getting in her way and just generally being a nuisance.

"Why aren't you wearing your headband? I just noticed it a moment ago but found it rather odd. I can't remember ever seeing you without it." Zaku asked rather curious as to what her answer would be.

"I just didn't feel like wearing it today! Now will you just back off already! God, you're like a five year old on a sugar high!" Kin answered barely able to hold back the entirety of her rage. Zaku muttered a barely audible apology for bothering her and was about to take off to look for firewood elsewhere when he noticed Kin wincing as she was filling the container she had retrieved from her satchel with water. Just as Kin was putting the container back in her satchel Zaku grabbed her by her right arm determined to get some answers out of her.

"Would you care to explain why you were wincing from putting your hands in a gently flowing streaming?" Zaku questioned with great concern for her safety. Kin glared at him as she told him that he was being a pest. Much as she tried to hide it Zaku could see great pain hiding behind the anger she was trying to cover it with. "Kin…please…just tell me what's happening to you…" Zaku pleaded desperately. Kin couldn't help but break down into tears upon hearing his genuinely concerned plea. Her mind, clouded by her sorrow, forgot what she was trying to keep from him and began trying to escape from his grasp. only to have her armband come off revealing several slashes lining her flesh.

"Kin…why…?" Zaku questioned weakly quite scared at what his friend had clearly been doing to herself.

"It's nothing…just…some injuries from the last time I sparred…" Kin offered up hoping that by some miracle he might buy into her pathetic excuse.

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it Kin! I want some real answers! I'm not going to allow those I care about to be in harm's way. Either you tell me what I want to know or we're not moving from this spot!" Zaku threatened unwilling to allow her abuse to continue any longer. Dosu shortly arrived at their location ready to tell Zaku off for being so recklessly loud thereby telling just about everyone in the forest where they were before he saw the scars on Kin's wrist.

"Fine," Kin responded dejectedly knowing that she was cornered and had no choice but to tell them everything "it all started about a week before the Chunin exams were to begin…"

-Flashback to a week before the Chunin exams-

"You…uh…wanted to see me Orochimaru-sensei?" Kin asked as she entered Orochimaru's apartment. He had ordered her to his residence earlier that day for a reason that hadn't been disclosed.

"Yes…it seems you've been developing rather quickly with your training in this village." Orochimaru began making Kin blush with pride for receiving praise from the her sensei "You've been growing into _quite _the young kunoichi…especially your body. I've grown rather lustful for you Kin. You should be honored by the feelings I've developed for you. Now let's proceed to my chambers so I can strip you of that pesky virginity of yours." Kin became quite fearful and tried to flee but couldn't escape. Just as she was about to leave Orochimaru grabbed her by the arms and forcefully brought her into his chambers.

-Present-

"I can't remember much of the details from what happened next and, those which I can, I really don't want to share with you. The short of it is that he…he raped me…he stole my innocence by violating me. I asked him about it later in private but he denied any part of the incident ever taking place. He did however say that if I told anyone he would kill me. I haven't been wearing my village headband ever since because it reminds me too much of Orochimaru. Recently, I've been cutting myself to try and forget how he desecrated me and the pain he made me feel…the pain that doesn't seem like it will ever go away…"

Dosu and Zaku were in shock from what they had just heard. They both couldn't believe that this was true yet didn't doubt Kin's word for a moment and yet didn't respond whatsoever at first, as they both had no idea what to do. Kin broke down completely seeing that they didn't seem to care and might even turn her in to Orochimaru for telling them about what she told them. Dosu punched a nearby tree cursing Orochimaru for his sick twisted act of pedophilia. Zaku, not knowing what else to do, embraced Kin to make her feel as safe as possible. Kin buried her head into Zaku right shoulder not wanting her friend to see her like this. "I swear on my life Kin." Zaku vowed trying to be strong for his friend "As long as I draw breath that sick son of a bitch won't touch so much as a single hair on your head ever again." Kin felt proud to have friends like Zaku and Dosu who would trust and stand by her despite the fact that doing so meant going against the mighty Orochimaru. Kin felt so defended from the support her friends were giving her that she knew that there wasn't anything to fear from Orochimaru ever again...or so she thought.

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Author's Note: I hope you're enjoying my fanfic. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. 


	2. Recovery

Author's Note: I've decided to _try _to make this a series fic, as the ending was rather weak in the last chapter. I haven't tried writing a series fic in over 2 years and those I did write were…lackluster. Anyways, my skills as a writer have improved since then so I'll just have to take a shot at it. Get ready everybody because you're in for a bumpy ride.

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_Kin could feel the pain consuming the entirety of her being. She wanted to scream but she knew that if she showed any signs of defiance the pain she felt would only be intensified. In spite of this she couldn't help herself from cringing "You like that don't you Kin…as much as you want to cry out in agony and defiance I know you lust for this just as I do." Orochimaru hissed taking great pleasure in the torment he was causing the young kunoichi. "Call out my name and beg for more." Kin was shocked at her sensei's demand. This was degrading enough as it was but to beg for him to continue…no…she couldn't…she'd rather die than to allow herself to be objectified like that. "Call out my name you whore or I'll kill you slowly and painfully." Orochimaru said clearly growing more ferocious and primal by the minute. She knew that unless she fulfilled her sensei's needs she would be expendable and therefore his threat was one to be feared._

_"Orochimaru-sama…please…harder." Kin begged while trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Orochmiaru gladly obliged with this forced request and started going harder and faster. Kin was so overcome with pain she knew that soon enough she would be engulfed in the sweet embrace of the reaper. She couldn't take the pain anymore so she relentlessly cried and screamed in horror terified of what was to come._

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Kin woke up with a start sitting up in the bed she was in never wanting to return to the uncertainty of slumber lest she relive the horror she had been trying to suppress. She couldn't help but wonder where she was as the last thing she remembered was being knocked unconscious by that annoying slacker. She decided that the best move right now would be to take in everything around her so she could plan her escape if Orochimaru had gotten hold of her. She was in what appeared to be the Konoha hospital ward. Who had brought her here? Why did they take her to the hospital? Where was the person who had brought her here? All these questions and more circulated around in her head as she desperately tried to come to terms with the situation at hand.

All of this musing caused her head to start aching intensely. As she reached to touch her head in pain she noticed the bandages wrapped on her head. It seemed like whoever had put them together had done a rather thorough job as, hard as she tried, they wouldn't come off. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Kin." Dosu said entering the room to find his ally trying to unravel the bandages covering her head. "Those were put there for a reason. Don't you remember your fight with Shikamaru Nara? It ended with you getting a concussion after he made you look like a…"

"I remember the damn match Dosu. I was _in_ it in case you'd forgotten." Kin snapped clearly not appreciating the lack of sympathy and multitude of cynicism she was receiving. "If I get my hands on that punk I'll rip his throat out. However, that's neither here nor there, where am I and what happened?" Dosu looked rather uncomfortable after hearing her question. He knew that sooner or later he'd have to tell her about what had happened though he'd really hoped it could've been later.

"Shikamaru brought you here after your match. I told him that he had done enough damage already and to let me take care of you but he refused to take that as an answer." Dosu began fearing for his safety with what he was about to say "He told me that my match hadn't even started yet and if I wasn't there for it I'd be disqualified. With his match already being over he said he really had nothing keeping him there, unlike me, so he may as well bring you here. I grudgingly accepted knowing full well that what he said was true as much as I despised it."

"So the class act brought me here…that's just damn perfect." Kin groaned barely able to keep her anger in check. "I suppose that moron said something along the lines of 'Man, this is such a drag' or some stupid little saying like that. It was bad enough to make me look like a fool in front of everyone. If he thinks he's going to get away with taking pity on me he's dreaming." Just as Kin had finished making her idle threat, Shikamaru entered. Shikamaru didn't look too comfortable being there but he seemed determined to check up on her status.

"So…um…how are you feeling Kin?" Shikamaru inquired timidly seeing her glaring at his presence in the room. "Um…sorry I kind of…gave you a concussion…" Kin rolled her eyes at his pathetic excuse for trying to check up on her. Was this really the same guy who made her look like such a naïve rookie? She soon felt regret for not filling him with even more needles when she had the chance. She sighed seeing that he clearly wasn't going to leave until she said _something_ to him.

"I'm fine…why did you bring me here anyway. Do you want some kind of medal or something? I…appreciate what you did for me. There, are you happy now? Why don't you get lost? I'm sure this must be a 'drag' for you to have to check up on me." Kin mumbled nearly inchorently not wanting to show any signs of weakness to the one who had defeated her, even if that person was as pathetic as this guy. She couldn't help but wonder why he was looking at her with concern and not leaving yet despite being told that everything was under control.

"Kin…I don't know how to say this but everyone kind of…found out…about your scars..." Dosu muttered afraid that this would be the last thing he would ever utter. "I tried to stop them but they told me they had to remove your armbands while they were running some tests. I demanded that they give a good reason for it but they just gave me some medical jargon crap that I didn't care enough about to remember. The Hokage has been informed of this and is looking into the issue as we speak." Kin was in shock after hearing this earthshaking news. This would complicate things a little to say the least. She took some solace in the fact that being the focal point of the Hokage's attention and therefore probably the talk of the village Orochimaru wouldn't be making a move anytime soon to get to her.

"Kin, to you I may just be some adversary, but regardless I'll help track down Orochimaru in whatever way I can!" Shikamaru said trying to sound as noble as possible. '_So they know it's Orochimaru,_' Kin thought '_That's just great…what the hell don't they know!_' Kin was well aware at this point Ororchimaru was the least of her worries. They would most likely take her scars as a sign of an attempt to commit suicide. This belief would easily end up with her in rehab. If she was forced to stay in a rehab center she knew that one way or another she was going to kill somebody, probably herself. If she kept acting let her usual self, cold, cynical, and arrogant, she realized that things would probably just be even rougher so she tried to fake an attitude of gratitude and "normal" emotions.

"Thank you for your help Shikamaru, and you too Dosu-kun, I don't know what I'd do without you two. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have two strong ninjas like you looking after me!" Kin said trying her best to sound as relieved and thankful as she possibly could.

"Anyways…Shikamaru and I have some paper work to fill out regarding your stay here. We're going to take off but we'll leave you in the hands of someone who's powerful enough to protect you from any harm that might come your way. Plus this is the one person in the village who knows Orochimaru better than anyone else so you can vent all you want about however you're feeling." Dosu stated uneasily at his friend's unusualy kind comment. He was starting to have some serious doubts about whether or not Kin was still mentally stable.

"Who's that Dosu-kun?" Kin asked as sweetly as she could. Upon finishing her inquiry a puff of smoke appeared in the center of the room.

"Hey there Kin! I heard you needed a caregiver to watch over you in case Orochimaru comes back! You're looking at her! The number one expert on Ororchimaru in the entire village! That's right! The expert is none other than the great Anko Mitarashi! Pretty cool, eh?" Anko inquired over enthusiastically in an effort to life the spirits of the crestfallen kunoichi.

"Yeah…pretty cool Anko-san…" Kin responded as happily as possible. Kin mentally begged the two to stay, as almost anything would be better than the hyperactive overbearing woman, but her plea went unheeded. As she watched Shikamaru and Dosu depart somewhat taken aback by the former proctor's entrance Kin couldn't help but feel depressed again. '_God help me…_' Kin thought hopelessly '_God help me…_'

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Author's Note: Yeah, I know it sucked. I told you, I'm no series writer. Oh well, for those of you who for whatever reason are enjoying this even slightly, I will most likely update within the week though revisions of the first two chapters may occur anytime. Oh well, practice makes perfect…right? Anyways thanks for reading and please leave a review. I'd like to have at least ONE more review before I post the next chapter. 


	3. Kabuto Attacks

Author's Note: I'll do my best to update the story as soon as possible but there are no guarantees as something may come up. I would've waited to put chapters 3 & 4 up but I realized that the sooner I have them up the better. People, most likely, aren't going to be interested enough in my fanfic to check back every week for a new chapter. By the way, it may be just my imagination but does Orochimaru kind of look like Michael Jackson? Anyways, onto the chapter!

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"So you're the Orochimaru expert Anko?" Kin asked a few minutes after Anko had made her entrance. Anko had taken a seat in the chair next to her bed, as she hadn't really found standing to be all that appealing of an idea.

"Yeah…I am…I know a lot more about him than anyone else in this village, except for perhaps the Hokage." Anko said having only recently reflected back on how much of an impact the sannin had made on her existence "I know a lot more about him than most people…more than I would really care to…" Kin gave her a puzzled look, as the young kunoichi really had no idea what she'd meant by that. She found it even odder that Anko had rested her hand on her left shoulder and was grimacing as though she were experiencing nearly unbearable torture. "Let's just say that he was my sensei, somewhat like he was to you…the only difference is I couldn't get away from him in time…"

Kin realized that pursuing the issue further would just make Anko even more depressed so she decided that it would be best to just let the matter go. "Man…I'm starving…is there any food in this place?" Kin inquired as Anko was nearly about to drift off into a world of her own. Kin almost immediately regretted getting Anko back from the dark place she had been on the verging of being submerged in. Anko jumped up and shouted out ecstatically that there was no need to fear because, as her caregiver, she had made all necessary preparations to take care of her. Anko took out two bowls of sweet bean soup and a plate full of dumplings from out of the inside of her coat. "Um…why…why do you carry bowls of sweet bean soup and plates of dumplings in your coat?" Kin asked barely able to keep herself from laughing, something she thought she would never be able to do considering current circumstances.

"This is just the thing speed up your recovery so eat up!" Anko exclaimed cheerfully setting the food in front of Kin but keeping one of the bowls for herself "As your care-giver it's my responsibility to ensure that you get well soon so start eating Kin-chan!" Kin, not wanting to hear another outburst, began eating ravenously. Anko grinned at seeing this eager acceptance of the food she had brought while she began to start on her own food. The only problem the two faced as they continued to gorge themselves was that there was really nothing to talk about. Neither of them saw it as the other's fault necessarily, it was just that a 24 year-old hyperactive Jonin and a 14 year-old emotionally scarred Genin had to talk about other than the connections they had with Orochimaru. It goes without saying that neither felt much like talking about the Sannin.

Just as Anko was beginning to enjoy spending some time overlooking the recovery of Kin the two heard a loud crashing noise come from a level above the room they were in. "Don't worry about it." Anko told Kin strictly noticing that she was most likely going to be eager to check it out herself, just as long as it got her out of the bed she was in and doing something other than eating. "I'll investigate it myself, you just keep regaining your strength, the last thing we need is for you to end up in even worse shape than you already are."

Anko rapidly ran out to the room where the noise had come from not wanting to leave Kin alone for longer than she had to. She knew from experience how desperate one could become as a child wanting to escape from Orochimaru especially after being betrayed. As Anko burst through the room she had just realized Sauske Uchiha had been residing in she noticed that there were several ANBU black ops lying dead on the ground, a broken window in the back of the room, and a rather startled Kakashi standing next to a recovering Sasuke staring at the arrival of his fellow Jonin. "Aren't you supposed to be watching over the girl from the sound village, Anko?" Kakashi asked and, upon seeing Anko looking at him dumbfounded at what she had taken in from the unusual surrondings, began to explain what had transpired in a somewhat frantic manner. Having finished with setting the scene for Anko Kakashi posed an odd question he had been mulling over,"It's the weirdest thing, as Kabuto left he said something about his work not being finished yet as there was another loose end he needed to tie up for his master, Orochimaru. What do you think he meant by that Anko-chan?" Kakashi mused not seeing the connection between what had occurred and what was about to happen.

Anko couldn't manage to keep the rage brought about by Kakashi's oblivious nature under control so she walked over to where he was and hit him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for Anko! I was just thinking out loud. If you have any ideas about what this might mean I'd be happy to hear them but you don't have to take your aggression out on me!" Kakashi complained as he rubbed the back of his head still feeling the sharp pain of the blow Anko had just dealt. Anko merely shook her head rather disappointed with how pathetic Kakashi's deduction skills were in comparrison with his ninjutsu.

"It means that he's going to go after someone who Orochiamru can't allow to live you moron!" Anko growled getting rather fed up with Kakashi not making the simple connection. "Hmm…who oh _who_ would Orochimaru want dead? Who could possibly know anything about him that might put his plans, whatever they may be, in jeopardy. Oh, I know! It's the girl from the sound village baka." Anko just finished saying this when the two heard glass shattering from below. "Shit…aren't you going to help me save the girl Kakashi? It _is _a matter of the utmost importance that the girl be kept from harm." Anko asked not wanting to wait around any longer than she had to but also not wanting to go it alone but not wanting to appear weak by pratically begging him for his assistance.

"Eh, I think you've got everything under control." Kakashi replied nonchalantly to her question. "Besides I have more important matters to attend to." Anko was about to ask what these _more important _matters were when she saw him pull out a copy of Jiraiya's novel _Icha Icha Paradise_. Upon seeing Anko glaring at him furiously he tried to keep himself from becoming the victim of another attack by mentioning that she still needed to check on the issue downstairs. Anko, realizing that now wasn't the best time to get distracted from her objective because of the irresposible Jonin, ran out of the room and shot Kakashi another glare for not lending her a hand.

"Damn pervert…" Anko growled in frustration as she made her way to Kin's room. Just as she burst into the room she saw a white haired young adult with glassed looming over an unconscious Kin who she assumed must be the Kabuto Yakushi who Kakashi had just told her of. "Who are you and what do you want with Kin?" Anko questioned fiercely not wanting to show any vulnerability to the one who had played mind games so easily with Kakashi. Kabuto couldn't help but chuckle at Anko's obvious tactics of detering his methods.

"You shouldn't bother playing games Anko Mitarashi. You know exactly who I am just as I know more about you than you'd like. I know all about Orochimaru's effect on you. I know how he's gotten inside your head. How he's made you into a nervous wreck. How you wake up in the middle of the night rather frequently terrified at the horrifying nightmares of your tragic past with Orochimaru." Kabuto said snidely enjoying the look of horror and anger Anko was beginning to get despite her best efforts to keep it from showing.

Anko, having had enough of this kid's taunting, pinned him against a wall and put a kunai up against his throat. "You talk too much." Anko muttered taking pleasure in having him right where she wanted him. "You can tell Orochimaru that I'll see him in hell!"

"You naïve little girl, you really think you've won don't you. Kin here is nothing more than a puppet, a tool of Orochimaru, she means no more to him than a shuriken. You, on the other hand, intrigue Orochimaru. He sees the blood lust you've grown in regards to him and he likes what he sees." Kabuto recounted fearlessly not appearing the slightest bit worried about the position he was in. "He believes that you've developed into the perfect Jonin to utilize as a right-hand ninja, after the proper training necessary to fully utilize that curse mark you've been trying to conceal that is."

"Shut up!" Anko roared no longer being able to keep her emotions in check. She swiftly slashed his throat with the kunai she had positioned on his larynx. She was rather annoyed to find that her attack didn't bring about the death of Kabuto but rather a puff of smoke and the disappearance of his being. "Shadow Clone Jutsu…should've known…" Anko mumbled disappointed in not seeing that she had attacked a clone believing it to be the real Kabuto. She knew full well that there were plenty of signs to show that he was nothing more than a clone and she was rather discouraged she hadn't been able to pick up on any of them. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the young girl who was caught up in something so devastating that it could mean the death of her when all she'd wanted was a sensei she could rely on and a village she could feel comfortable and at home in. As she took her seat next to Kin to wait for the young kunoichi to recover she sighed knowing that this was far from over and that thing were going to get much worse before they got better.

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Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I appreciate any and all feedback so please leave a review. 


	4. The Curse Mark

Author's Note: Thank you for your reviews. I appreciate your insight. Kin might seem a bit OOC but just keep in mind that she feels a little vulnerable at this point. Anyways, before I go off on some sort of tangent I'll just get the chapter out.

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Anko had dozed off shortly after her confrontation with Kabuto Yakushi. Her slumber had been broken by after hearing the pained cries coming from Kin. After coming to, Anko noticed that Kin had regained consciousness and was writhing in torment and gripping her neck while she was sleeping. Anko found this rather unusual until she heard some of what Kin was crying out in her nightmare filled slumber. "O…Orochimaru-sama," Kin pleaded weakly desperate for her pain to subside in any way necessary "please…stop…I don't want the power of the curse mark…please…don't make me…"

"Orochimaru, you son of a bitch!" Anko cursed, her words dripping with malice "She trusted you! Dosu, Zaku, Kin, they all put their faith in you! This is how you repay them?!? By treating them as though they were mere tools of war? I should've figured as much…it's been over 10 years since you abandoned me and your view of your underlings hasn't changed in the slightest since that time. Well, you may not care for them, but they deserve so much better than what you're doing to them. Keep holding on Kin…you can overcome this…I guarantee that he will not get away with what he's done…I swear…I will send him to the reaper."

As Kin began crying from the intensity of her agony, Anko realized that this was something she couldn't allow the young Genin to take on all by herself. Unsure of how to go about it exactly since she had never exactly had much love and support herself, she tried her best to take the vulnerable kunoichi into a parental embrace. "It's going to be alright Kin, just calm down." Anko whispered soothingly in an effort to bring the girl back to her senses. Seeing her this way pained Anko more than the woman could've possibly imagined. "As long as I'm here he won't lay a finger on you…I swear on my life that he will never hurt you again."

Anko was well aware that this was an empty promise as, if Orochimaru was able to make it this far, she couldn't do anything to stop him. Her power was nothing compared to his so she was nothing more than a nuisance to him. Should he desire to kill her he would be able to do so with ease. "Th…thank you Anko-san…" Kin mumbled gratuitously causing the Jonin to realize that her efforts had been sufficient to fulfill the desired effect and led to Anko releasing her "I'm sorry for…being so weak…"

"Shut up, Kin!" Anko commanded firmly not willing to let the girl berate herself for something she couldn't help. "it takes the will of a true ninja to go through what you have and not give in to suicidal desires. Very few people in this village can truly say that they could do the same, even most Jonin would have succumbed to their own weakness by now. If what you've shown through your perseverance isn't strength then I don't know what is!"

After taking in everything Anko had said, Kin leaned back on her bed, only now realizing how weak she felt. Anko offered to get her some breakfast, Kin was about to counter this by saying that it was still the middle of the afternoon, until she looked at the clock right above the entrance to her room which showed the time to be 8:00 AM. '_I must've dozed off,_'Kin thought '_but how can that be? The last thing I remember was being wide-awake, eagerly anticipating the return of Anko to recount what she had found out about the commotion upstairs. Where did the time go? I must be losing it…_' Kin gratuitously accepted the offer as she began to realize how hungry she was, only now coming to terms with the fact that she hadn't eaten anything since that bowl of sweet bean soup and plate of dumplings Anko had given her the day before.

When Anko had returned with the food she took her seat next to Kin's bed. Anko began to eat after she made sure that Kin was eating her food as well and eagerly anticipated the questions she knew were to come. "Um…Anko-san…" Kin began timidly

"Yes Kin-chan, what is it?" Anko replied softly.

"I…well…I have a few questions. First, where have Dosu and Shikamaru been? I haven't seen them since they took off yesterday saying something about needing to fill out some forms or something like that. Second, what happened yesterday? The last thing I remember was you investigating a crash in the room above us." Kin inquired with the pure innocence of a child.

"Well, as you said, I was investigating the noise upstairs when I came across Kakashi Hatake. He's a Jonin squad leader in Konoha leading squad 7 that consists of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki. The room above us was apparently the room Sasuke had been staying in since his battle with Yoroi Akado. He had just faced off with Kabuto Yakushi, an accomplice of Ororchimaru, over Sasuke Uchiha. Kabuto had tried to kill him but Kakashi managed to stop him soon enough that no harm befell Sasuke. Kakashi had managed to fight him off, but Kabuto escaped. He told Kakashi that he had some other business to take care of anyways and, upon learning of this having transpired, I dashed back to the room you were staying in. I found Kabuto, well…a shadow clone of Kabuto anyways, about to kill you. I took him out but not before he knocked you unconscious." Anko regaled her rather effortlessly considering how much was said.

"Well, that certainly explains the time lapse." Kin said somewhat intrigued at the information she had taken in from what Anko had told her "but what happened to Dosu Kinuta and Shikamaru Nara?"

"Those two, eh," Anko responded somewhat presuming. "They certainly care a lot for you, especially that Shikamaru Nara boy. They came by shortly after my tussle with Kabuto's shadow clone. They were rather panicked to find you unconscious and were about to take me on believing me to be the one who had hurt you. I quickly explained what had happened since I didn't want to hurt the noble kids in combat. They hesitantly accepted it as fact and told me to keep a closer eye on you. They stayed for your side as long as they could after that believing themselves to be partially responsible for what had happened to you because they weren't there in your time of need. They were escorted out despite being ready to do whatever it would take to say as a result of me telling them that I'd be fine watching over you myself and that they should go get some rest and come back tomorrow. Shikamaru, realizing that Dosu really had nowhere to go, invited him to stay the night at the Nara residence. Dosu grudgingly agreed realizing it was the best course of action."

"Sounds like Dosu aright." Kin commented with the slightest bit of a grin forming on her face. "He's just as thickheaded and stubborn as always."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Shikamaru left these here for you." Anko mentioned notioning towards some flowers on the bedside table "He told me to say on his behalf 'I hope you get well soon Kin.'"

"Who's the card from?" Kin inquired regarding the card sitting next to the flowers. As hard as she tried Kin couldn't help but blush at hearing what Shikakamru had done for her. Anko readily picked up on this and how she was trying to cover it up with the question she'd asked but decided against bringing it up.

"That's from Dosu and Zaku. They wanted to leave you some weaponry but the medical personnel wouldn't let them. According to them 'Given the choice between flowers, new clothes, and new makeup or a new set of shuriken, needles, and kunai you'd taken the weapons in a heartbeat without a second thought."" Anko said rather amused with what had transpired. "After realizing they would have to leave you something else they decided to just buy you a card. Unfortunately Dosu had to get it himself as Zaku is still recovering from his battle with Shino Aburame. Now if you don't mind I have a question for you Kin." Anko mentioned hesitantly.

"What's that Anko-san?" Kin inquired realizing it was only fair that she answer at least one question for Anko.

"It's about Orochimaru…and the curse mark." Anko solemnly replied as she pointed to Kin's neck.

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Author's Note: I'll leave it there for now. I hope you're enjoying the fanfic so far. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. 


	5. Conclusion

Author's Note: I can tell that this story is quickly going downhill and, as I don't want to make this story a lot worse by adding short boring chapters, I'll just finish this up with one last chapter. Thanks to all those who've read this so far and reviewed (all 3 of you…) and I hope you'll enjoy the final part to the story (and not just enjoy the fact that it's over).

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"What are you talking about?" Kin asked taken aback by the fact that Anko knew about her curse mark. "What curse mark? I don't know anything about any…"

"You don't have to lie to me Kin." Anko said calmly trying to act as though Kin trying to hide the curse mark, which Orochimaru had given her, didn't bother her. "I found out about it while I was listening to your sleep talking. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I merely wanted to let you try and overcome your inner demons on your own. I know now that this is a burden too big for anyone to be expected to carry on their shoulders."

"Anko-san, why do you sound like you know so much about what I'm going through? What do you know about the curse mark?" Kin inquired finding it rather odd that anybody, even the Hokage himself, could act like they knew so much and seem to actually have some experience to back it up with. "Do you have a friend who's living with the same curse mark I have? If so, can you please take me to meet him? You have no idea how helpful it would be to talk with someone who's gone through what I'm experiencing. Someone who can teach me how to restrain this curse mark and keep it from consuming me."

Anko smiled seeing that her help would be rather well received. "I guess you could say that." Anko answered grinning at what she was about to share with Kin. "However, it's a woman. You know her a lot better than you might think." Kin was about to demand that Anko stop playing around and take her to see this woman as she couldn't stand not being able to learn more about what she'd been through and how she's dealt with this affliction for so long when she saw the Jonin stand up, turn around, and remove her coat exposing the symbol on the upper part of her back before turning back around to see Kin in awe of what had been unveiled to her.

"I'm the village expert on Orochimaru remember? You shouldn't be so surprised that I'm the one who's gone through what you have." Anko said somewhat nervous at what the girl might think of her now. "I can help you keep it under control Kin but it'll take a great deal of work and dedication. In addition to that, once the Hokage has been informed of this, you'll be as hated as Naruto Uzumaki in the eyes of the citizens of Konoha. They don't exactly look kindly upon something as dangerous as this especially when its source is the demonic Orochimaru. I'm not going to pretend that your life's going to get any easier but I can tell you that you'll always have me to confide in. It would probably be easier for you to speak with the Hokage directly instead of having me as your advocate. If he sees the face of the person who's fate he's deciding perhaps that'll cause him to go a little easier on you in terms of how you'll be monitored."

Kin looked at the woman, as though she'd gone insane, which she was very certain was a distinct possibility after having to endure the disgrace of the curse mark. "Um…I'm not sure if you recall this or not but I'm still being kept here to recover from my fight with Shikamaru. The personnel aren't exactly going to let someone who had a concussion recently simply walk out the door." Kin said a little patronizingly as she thought that this was painfully obvious.

"Well then, it looks like I'll have to use some jutsu then won't I." Anko said rather smugly as she was about to make Kin even more shocked than she already was. Before Kin had a chance to question this statement as well Anko put her palms up to the girl's head and shouted "Mystical Palm Technique" as she gathered charka in her hands and utilized it to heal the girl's wound. When Anko had completed her technique Kin's bandages were removed, and to the Genin's surprise, found that the injuries she'd sustained in her fight had completely recovered. Kin glared at Anko as though to berate her for taking so long to do this.

"Look, I know you're made that I left you waiting to heal naturally but I had good reason for not healing you right away." Anko said upon noticing how angry she had made Kin. "First of all, the Mystical Palm Technique uses up _a lot_ of charka. I doubt I'll be able to use much more than D & E level jutsu for the rest of the day. Second, I had to know how you were involved with Orochimaru. This made it vital to leave you somewhere that he was aware of. I knew that he'd send one of his minions to finish you off which would give me the perfect opportunity to interrogate them to find out what they knew about his plans. It was a rather good stroke of luck that the person who Orochimaru sent had been Kabuto."

"Super…can we go now? " Kin replied sharply still somewhat annoyed with Anko's hesitance to help her. "I'd like to speak with the old geezer soon so I can find out what I have in store in terms of restrictions and the like." Anko was rather pleased that Kin was starting to feel a little more confident and after putting on her coat said that they could head out after they had spoken with her doctor and signed some release forms.

After what had felt like a mountain of paperwork and an eternity of waiting Kin found herself standing in front of the Hokage with Anko ready to discuss the terms of what would become of her.

"I'm sure that you need not be told that we are well aware of the full extent of your situation Kin now the question of what to do with you still remains." Hokage informed the two sounding like he had already come up with his own ideas. "In order to keep you protected from any further attacks by Orochimaru as well as from yourself you will need to be placed under the careful watch of a few members of the ANBU black ops. We will place Dosu and Zaku under the same care; of course we _will _have to wait until Zaku has recovered to take him out of the hospital. I do understand that you have grown a close bond with the girl Anko and believe that you should have the right to state what you believe should be done based on what you've learned of her. Such extra inisight could easily prove essential to taking proper measures in terms of deciding her fate."

Kin looked at Anko with desperation as though pleading to save her from that sort of torture. "Sir, with all due respect I believe your plan is hardly the best course of action." Anko began formally knowing full whom she was speaking to but still trying her best to undermine the theory he'd reccomended. "At best, the ANBU black ops would be biased against her. It would be only natural as, much like the rest of the village, they would most likely see her as an unnecessary threat to Konoha. This would prove rather unfair to the girl and her friends as they would most likely not be taught anything more, to ensure that the threat level they pose wouldn't be heightened, thus halting their development as shinobi. I recommend that you leave them in an environment where they would get the proper provisions and instruction that they deserve. This is why I suggest that you put them under my care. Being a Jonin I am of proper level to take on a squad of ninja under my tutelage. I believe that their performance in the exams exemplifies their skills and serves as a more than acceptable substitute for the preliminary test to see whether or not they are ready to be Genin."

"Anko, I'm well aware how close you feel to this girl but you have to keep in mind that she _does _pose a threat to our village with her curse mark. I am also hesitant to give them free reign as they were trained under Orochimaru and therefore could be dangerous. In spite of this I do have to admit that if anyone was qualified to take on this responsibility that person would be you. However, even if I _do _agree to your proposal what would their living arrangements be?" Sarutobi replied somewhat reluctant to give in to Anko's idea despite how ideal it seemed as a prospect.

"I would give them shelter in my apartment. I have more than enough room to house 3 more people. I also make more than enough to provide proper care for the three of them. Being someone who used to be Ororchimaru's apprentice I believe that I have a good idea of what kind of an upbringing they were subjected to and believe that I can best take them from what they are now to respectable ninja of the village." Anko replied somewhat pleased that it seemed the Hokage was finally giving in to her concept.

"Anko, though rather hesitant to do so, I have full faith in you and grant you the three of them as your own students to raise and care for. I do however believe that daily check-ups with the ANBU black ops will be a necessity for the first two weeks to ensure that nothing goes awry. I know you won't let me down Anko and I look forward to seeing what you can make of these kids as well as how being a sensei will shape you as a Jonin." Sarutobi stated knowing full well that Anko's argument was too through and well backed up to fight against any longer.

"Thank you sir." Anko said glad to have saved the Genin from a life of hell. Anko and Kin made their leave rather promptly afterwards not wanting to stick around incase the Hokage might change his mind. When they had made their way to the streets of Konoha, Kin looked at Anko with quite a bit of curiosity and asked her "Did you really mean what you said? That Dosu, Zaku, and I are going to move in with and be taught by you? Are you really that willing to sacrifice your own privacy for us?" Kin questioned a bit disbelieving that Anko had really meant what she'd said.

"Of course, I can't let you guys come to any harm. I'd bet you'd get a good deal of emotional damage being looked after by the ANBU black ops. I know what it's like to feel like you've got nowhere to go and nobody to turn to for help. I had to grow up like that after Orochimaru abandoned me and I won't allow you kids to go through the same pain that I did. It wouldn't be fair to you. We victims have to stick together Kin." Anko said giving Kin a grin and a thumbs up. "I might be able to help Zaku heal tomorrow but for now let's go get Dosu from Shikamaru's place and get you two set up in your new home."

"Aren't you afraid of what might happen if I lose control? How am I going to keep it from overwhelming me Anko-san?" Kin questioned somewhat worried of what might happen if the curse mark were to overcome her.

"I have faith in you Kin. I know you have the willpower to do anything. Everything will be fine Kin, we'll take things just like I did, one day at a time." Anko responded trustingly as she stopperd Kin for a moment to give her a hug to let her know that, though she'd gone through hell, she'd never have to be alone again.

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Author's Note: Well, it was a bit choppy but there you go. I didn't want to let it remain unfinished so I wrote this to just bring it to an end instead of just no longer writing anything and leaving it discontinued. I hope you liked the series fic and I'd really appreciate it if you left a review before you left. 


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